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Arts & Culture

INDEPENDENT LENS: Served Like A Girl

Denyse Gordon, Joanne Makay, Hope Garcia, Rachel Engler, Jas Boothe, Nichole Alred and Andrea Waterbury.
Courtesy of Adam Sternberg
Denyse Gordon, Joanne Makay, Hope Garcia, Rachel Engler, Jas Boothe, Nichole Alred and Andrea Waterbury.

Airs Monday, July 13, 2020 at 11 p.m. on KPBS TV (not available to stream on demand)

Documentary Chronicles Female Veterans as They Compete to Become Ms. Veteran America

This film is no longer available to stream on demand

Directed by Lysa Heslov, “Served Like a Girl” is a powerful and poignant look at a group of diverse female veterans as they transition from active duty to civilian life after serving tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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Struggling with PTSD, homelessness, broken families, serious illness, physical injuries, and military sexual abuse, these inspiring women find ways to adapt to the challenges they face through participation in the “Ms. Veteran America” competition.

Guided by event founder and veteran Major Jas Boothe, the women work hard to prepare for the competition, and, in the process, recover parts of their identities they had lost on the battlefield.

Filled with humor and heart in equal measures, “Served Like a Girl” premiered on INDEPENDENT LENS in 2018.

Served Like a Girl - Trailer

Wounded U.S. female service personnel often return home to a stark reality; many face debilitating emotional, social and economic challenges.

The Ms. Veteran America competition was established in 2012 to encourage women veterans to recognize and support their sisters as they return to civilian life.

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More than a vehicle for shared recovery, the competition’s main mission is to raise funds and awareness for America’s 55,000 homeless women veterans, a goal that resonates strongly with the women profiled in the film.

Rachel Engler holds her trophy from the Ms. Veteran America competition.
Courtesy of Brian Engler
Rachel Engler holds her trophy from the Ms. Veteran America competition.

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CREDITS:

Directed by Lysa Heslov. Produced by Lysa Heslov, Seth Gordon and Linda Perry. Executive Producers: Jason Delane Lee, Yvonne Huff Lee, Kym Gold, Marlon Young, Kari Wagner, Brenda Robinson and Jason Kliot. Co-Producers: Jill Delaney and Chay Carter. Director of Photography: Rita Baghdadi. Written by Lysa Heslov, Tchavdar Georgiev. Edited by Tchavdar Georgiev ACE, Bridget Arnet, Monique Zavistovski. Music by Michael A. Levine. Additional Score by Linda Perry.